About the New York auto show

Jeep chief designer Mark Allen says the appearance of the Cherokee is meant to advance the design of the brand. The styling also improves aerodynamics.

"It's going to be efficient," he told Autoweek. "It's going to look dynamic."

Arguably, it is. But it's also different. And different is scary for many -- especially the Cherokee faithful. Believe it or not, Jeep gets this.

"I realize it takes some people some time to digest it," Allen said, but also pointed out that the ground-breaking design of the original Cherokee carved its own identity.

Now, before dismissing Allen's comments as corporate-speak, understand he is a Jeep guy. He owns a 1999 Cherokee, is an off-road enthusiast and he realizes a lot of people were not thrilled when the initial pictures leaked out.

"I get that and I understand that," he said.

Plus, the Cherokee is based on the Dodge Dart's Alfa Romeo-sourced platform and Allen says it wasn't feasible to construct a throwback style on those underpinnings.

"Even if I did make it look like that, it would be so faux," he said.

Still, Jeep has taken abuse over the 2014 Cherokee, and Allen is fine with that, too.

"That's passion in the brand," he said.

Perhaps the single greatest reason for the initial firestorm was the name. If this was the Liberty, Jeep enthusiasts likely would have shrugged.

"A lot of it has [been] because of the name," Allen said.

He also points out there are plenty of authentic Jeep styling cues on the Cherokee, from the grille to the fenders to the design lines -- elements that date back to the brand's history as a war horse. That's fairly uncommon in today's auto world.